Total hack

[ezra76]

I played the treacherous greens of Valley CC with my boss today. The new putter is great, easy to stoke down the line and the best for my stroke I've used so far. I played with no driver and thought I might get something going after dropping a 10footer for par on #1 and then a tap in bogey on #2. From there the doubles started and it only got worse. Needing a par on 9 to stay at 45 I somehow started topping the friggen ball. I've not had crap like this happen on the course in a long time. I really let it get in my head. I made a 9 on that hole and proceeded to card 3 more 8's during the round after that. I ended up shooting 103 and it's devestating. I have no clue what to do at this point, what to work on? My range sessions are stellar. I even had a guy comment me at the range last time. He asked what I shoot and I told him my last score of 92 at Swansea. His reply was "wow, really, I'd have thought a lot lower the way you're hitting them".

I guess just keep practicing and one day maybe it'll show up on the course. I can hit any shot you can think of at the range, high, low, draw, fade. Accuracy at the range is also very good. I hit the mound at 175 draw, fade, straight, draw, straight, fade. If the stick was actually a hole? That'd be 6 shots on different trajectories all inside 10ft. and a couple tap ins.

Maybe its my mental game that needs some work. I was hanging in for a while today until the topped shot. I'll bet if that shot had been really good and onto the green, it would have made a 10-12 stroke difference in the round. I lost all confidence and was afraid to hit the ball, the wheels just fell completely off.

[Clemson]

I am going through the same thing. When you figure it out let me know. Two months ago I might have topped the ball once every 5 rounds. Now it is two or three times a side. When you figure it out let me know.

By the way, you sure do play alot of golf with your boss. I have golf envy.

[ezra76]

Yeah, I guess I should't complain too much. While everyone else is working on a Fri. I'm out playing for free on a prestine private course with some of the best greens in the area. I got rid of the topped shots right away but the terror stayed with me.

[kwcsports]

Ez, It sounds to me like a problem I was having a few months ago. I was always adding up my score and putting pressure on myself to shot a number. Stop keeping track of your score!!! Let someone else add it up and just worry about executing your shots. Over every shot, think about the feelings you have on the range hitting shots and forget about- I have to stick this close for birdie, or I need a par for 44 on the front. It is very hard to do, but I did it for the last month and shot 79 twice and a bunch of low 80's. Obviously we can both keep our scores in our heads, but you have to forget about hole by hole score and just worry about hitting your shots. As I said to you in another thread, everyone hits it great at the range because there is no pressure. We all aim at mounds and draw them in, fade them in, etc.... but with nothing on the line, we make our best swings. IMHO just relax, forget score and hit the ball like you don't care where it goes. Once you walk off the 18th green, add up your score and I think you will see A big move in the right direction.

[fuzzyjr]

back in the day when i was a better golfer, i was taking a lesson monthly. One of my lessons was because i was hitting the ball about two grooves too low, and occasionaly topping it. He told me one thing, grip up on the club, he said your swing will almost automatically make you stay down. You will work out of moving you upper half and striaghting your back. It worked for me, i never had to use that swing in a round, just on the range. Very quickly i started making my normal swing and fluidly. My instructor was Jeff Harris, probably not known by many but he played on the Tour for a few years. Give it a try, however i am not an instructor so take it for what its worth.

[Augster]

When you are ready.....

Amazon.com: Natural Golf Swing: Books: George Knudson,Lorne Rubenstein

Get that combined with the hit impulse book. Both are great and teach exactly the same thing. Knudson's book is the best as it is completely radical in that you do NOTHING consiously except shift your weight. You only focus on the target.

Just trying to help.

[ezra76]

I appreciate it Augster and I'll look into it. I plan on spending some Paypal bucks on stuff to work with over the winter. A few good books would help.

[Clugnut]

Do you have a pre-shot routine, EZ? I mean, one that you are committed to before every shot? Establishing that really helped me focus on the shot at hand.

[Adam Pettman]

I went through a few rounds like that then I remembered that I need to look at the ball, hand eye co-ordination is alot easiar when you're looking at what your trying to hit.

[zaphod]

Sounds like what I've been going through for years. 2 years ago I had an "Eurika " moment. Practice the 100 yards and in game -mainly wedges- and let the long game take care of itself. I've gone from commonly scoring in the high 80s -90s to low 70's- low 80s with a sub par round or two when long game is on. Work on a bulletproof wedge game and chipping and you WILL go low too.

Wish I would have realized that when I was your age and not when I was 50 years old. Would have saved a lot of agony. But I am stubborn.

[solarbear88]

After seeing so many of your posts, your practice regime does not seem to be... ummn... making much sense. I think you need to go to the range with a plan for what you are going to work on and work on 1 thing till you get it. Hitting ball after ball is not getting anywhere, obviously. All you have done during the session is improve your hand-eye-coordination so that you can keep all your problems and still hit the ball. On the course, with a walk between each ball you don't have that coordination you had in practice and all the faults show themselves again.

[LyleG]

EZ, I had said this too you once before and think now is a time it needs to be said again.

Step away for a while.

Winter is fast approaching in your area, so it would be perfect timing in that regard as well. You are trying too hard, trying to change too much too fast and have become so frustrated that in all honesty you wont get better unless you step back and clear your head for a while.

Two months off will do you wonders. Don't swing a club at all. The first month don't even think about golf just simply push it aside. After the first month sit back and evaluate your game. What have you really tried to do, what do you really want to do? Are you being realistic in your expectations, especially the time table for them? Have you really developed a plan and stuck to it? If not do that in a months or so time. Make a plan, and understand that this will not happen fast. Expect it to take a full year until you begin to see results, and 2 until the results become consistent. It takes time, and you are young enough that you have plenty of it.

In the mean time, stop obsessing, step back, find something else to do, enjoy the company of your little lady, jerk off, what ever, just stay away from golf.

[Wi-Golfer]

Originally Posted by LyleG

EZ, I had said this too you once before and think now is a time it needs to be said again.

Step away for a while.

Winter is fast approaching in your area, so it would be perfect timing in that regard as well. You are trying too hard, trying to change too much too fast and have become so frustrated that in all honesty you wont get better unless you step back and clear your head for a while.

Two months off will do you wonders. Don't swing a club at all. The first month don't even think about golf just simply push it aside. After the first month sit back and evaluate your game. What have you really tried to do, what do you really want to do? Are you being realistic in your expectations, especially the time table for them? Have you really developed a plan and stuck to it? If not do that in a months or so time. Make a plan, and understand that this will not happen fast. Expect it to take a full year until you begin to see results, and 2 until the results become consistent. It takes time, and you are young enough that you have plenty of it.

In the mean time, stop obsessing, step back, find something else to do, enjoy the company of your little lady, jerk off, what ever, just stay away from golf.

Gotta agree with all of that. definitely sounds like you are trying too hard & attempting to possibly hit a goal in an unreasonable amount of time. Hell I would love to be shooting 70's but I know that's unrealistic right now so I am content with low to mid 90's for now...of course with the occasional freakish mid 80 thrown in that keeps my hopes up.

[ezra76]

I don't think I'm going to take much time off but I'm thinking a lot of it's just too much range time. For the guys who haven't been around that long... last year I broke 80 6 times at the end of the year. I managed to only do it once this year and gone up over 90 more than under it. Granted I'm playing the most difficult courses in the state off the tips vs. a 6100yd. 118 slope but bad shots are bad shots.

The course just 1 mile from is one of the tougher around. Last year they had a "winter pass" good until April for around $225 if I'm not mistaken? I think I should jump on it if they do it this year and get out there and play. I start getting too mechanical from too much range time. I hit my best shots when I'm in trouble, trying to hit low draws, sharp fades, over a tree, whatever. I really think this is because I'm a "feel" player. When I'm hitting out of trouble I'm "creating" the shot. I don't think at all about anything remotely mechanical. I'm just imagining the perfect flight of the golf ball and then making it do that.

What do you think? Load up the bag with some used balls and hit the course with long johns on vs. buying more training aids and going to the range 4-5 days a week?

[Wi-Golfer]

If there is one thing I have learned this year it's that the range really hasn't done a damn thing for me other than learn what distances I can hit each club from a perfect lie.

I play better when I stay away from the range.